Coffee and Towels

[Altjaeger]

I recently made a kayak camping trip and tried two products new to me.

Due to space limitations I left my tin perculator at home. Instead I took Folgers Coffee Singles, the "tea bag" coffee. While the blend was not my dark roast arabica bean blend it was real coffee as good as from the pot. It sure beat instant and was more than satifactory. Compact, easy and space efficient.

The other was a pack of ShamWows. We have all seen the TV advertisements. We picked some up at Bed, Bath and Beyond. The large sheet about 18' easily serve as a bath towel for a man getting no damper than a terry cloth bath towel. The small ones do great as a dish towel or other similar uses They do not seem to get as damp as towels and dry faster.. That pack stayed in my camp gear.

[DancesWithKnives]

I agree that the coffee singles are definitely acceptable, if not haute cuisine. I'll have to check out those Shamwows, despite my lack of appreciation for Vince's rap!

Thanks for the reports,

DWK

[Bushman]

We went to those coffee singles last year for a Canadian fly in and they worked well enough. Not as good as from the percolator, but my fishing buddy hates to cook and the coffee singles make life with him easier. I don't really like the taste of coffee that much to begin with, but I like the caffeine buzz. A little Kahlua in with the coffee goes pretty good too.

I picked up a package of those Shamwows at Walgreen's a few weeks back and I'm pretty amazed at how much water they hold. They wick really well and when you hang them up, most of the water goes to the bottom where you can wring it out more. I had not thought of them as a light weight towel. Actually I use the whole package as my first line of defense for a tiny crack in my basement wall that lets in a little water after a heavy rain. Those Shamwows get it all before it can get to the carpeting. Works well.

[ncboman]

Friend of mine gave me a few of those singles to try. Since I only had a couple I tried to make 2 cups with each one... the 2nd cup was weak.:D

nothin like the chickory rich Luzianne I drink around here.

ncboman

[Bushman]

I got to asking myself just how much water would a 20x24" Shamwow hold so having nothing better to do at the moment, I measured it at 22 ounces!!! Thirsty little devil. I thought that it would never go past 8 or so. Impressive little towels.

NCB, when my buddy thinks his coffee is done and takes out his coffee single, I put his in with mine as I like my coffee a little thicker than he does. Two bags beat one bag for a caffeine fix.

[DancesWithKnives]

I have an 84-year old geezer friend I take hunting when possible. He is somewhat frugal and can get multiple cups out of one coffee bag. Of course, when he makes fresh coffee, it tastes about like the dishwater he washes the coffee pot in! [He likes it super weak.] When I make some 90 wt coffee with my press, the old guy usually has to cut it with quite a bit of water.

That absorption rate with the Shamwows is really impressive. I should stop by the local Walgrens and try some.

Thanks for the test report!

DWK

[Smokey]

I think the coffee bags are convenient, but I prefer a coffee pot or a press to make coffee.

[Altjaeger]

I think the coffee bags are convenient, but I prefer a coffee pot or a press to make coffee.

I agree. However, that may simply have been the blend or maybe I need to throw the bag in cold water and boil for "cowboy" coffee minus the grounds. Room to experiment yet. Kayaks can pack a lot more than a packframe, but any weight saved converts to better handling.

My wife has her mom send her empty paper tea bags from Germany to fill with whatever blend is desired. There is a simply metal clip and chain to seal the bag when filled and then brew. I may test those with my choice of coffees and see what happens. I have not seen those over here.

[purple heart]

I have a small 21 ft. camper we use for deer hunting and even though I have a stove and coffee pot we went to the coffee bags a few years ago. They are just a lot more convenient and quicker than dealing with a coffee pot and coffee grounds. Especially first thing in the morning.

I've pick up some of those shamwows but haven't tried them yet. If they're half as good as the advertisements say they ought to be pretty good.:)

[Rock Chuck]

They're making those moist towelettes in bath size now. 1 will get you pretty clean all over. I've used them a couple times and they work pretty well - but they contain alcohol. I HIGHLY recommend dropping the packet in warm water for a couple of min. before using it or it'll freeze the balls off a brass monkey.

The brand I had (can't remember it at the moment) came in a 3-pack which was a problem. After opening it, there was no way to reseal the pack to keep the other 2 moist. You have to take along a zip-loc bag to put the open pack in.
This isn't the brand I had but it's about the same thing from Amazon:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41APVmx1ngL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[Greywolf]

Friend of mine gave me a few of those singles to try. Since I only had a couple I tried to make 2 cups with each one... the 2nd cup was weak.:D

nothin like the chickory rich Luzianne I drink around here.

ncboman

NC, if you're craving that chickory flavor, just srape a few acorn shavings into the pot along with the grounds, it'll be every bit as good, but I'm not sure of how bad a cathartic it might be...:D

[Greywolf]

I

My wife has her mom send her empty paper tea bags from Germany to fill with whatever blend is desired. There is a simply metal clip and chain to seal the bag when filled and then brew. I may test those with my choice of coffees and see what happens. I have not seen those over here.

I think they do have singles on the market, but they may not be available everywhere yet.

[Greywolf]

I've used them a couple times and they work pretty well - but they contain alcohol. I HIGHLY recommend dropping the packet in warm water for a couple of min. before using it or it'll freeze the balls off a brass monkey.

:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41APVmx1ngL._SL500_AA280_.jpg


LOL Rock Chuck,

thanks for the warning, would hate to hav'em freeze to a solid blue icicle, and get cracked off when I take a step forward:eek::D

[Rock Chuck]

If you look carefully at the pic, it says 'cleans and refreshes'. Cleans, yes. But if you're in a cold tent and slap one of these things into an armpit, you'll know the meaning of 'refreshes'.